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By Steve Agbota
Economic activities at the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports were disrupted as the Marítime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), shut their staff out of the ports on Tuesday. The shut down was in compliance with the two-day warning strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), over the hardship and suffering across the country caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Apapa and Tin-Can Island seaport gates were all locked. Also, in the the midst of the chaos, the Mile 2 road experienced a standstill as vehicles refused to transport commuters, leading to disruptions in some offices in the Apapa area.
The NLC had initiated a two-day warning strike on Tuesday, resulting in a crowd of port users gathering outside the Apapa port with staff were denied entry.
Speaking to our reporter, a truck driver, Yusuf Liadi, stated that no single truck has exited or accessed the port since morning.
He, however, advised that already cleared cargoes should be allowed to exit the port because importers will accrue more demurrage and shipping charges which is also detrimental to the already fragile economy.
“We are already suffering in this country infact, we are suffocating. For instance, I left my house this early morning for Apapa to transport an already cleared container to owners’ warehouse only to be told now that there is strike and no consignment will be allowed to move.
“This is double tragedy for the agent and importers because they will pay demurrage and storage charges to Shipping companies and terminal operators.
“Also, government should provide palliative, the suffering is much. I spent over N5,000 to come to Apapa due to the subsidy removal and so i expect the government should do something before it leads to chaos in the country,” he lamented.
Also, a seaport worker, Steven Ibe, expressed frustration with the Federal Government overnment’s negligence towards the suffering of Nigerians. He believed that the two-day strike won’t be sufficient and suggested a complete shutdown. “The media were not being factual with the information they sent to the public. At first, I heard of the strike, and later, I heard it wouldn’t hold. You know NLC is always not stable with their actions compared to the days of Adams Oshiomole when he was the President of the Union.
But now, we no longer believe their statements; that’s why many of us were not aware of the warning strike,” he stated.
A port users, Alonge Ibrahim, said the strike distrupt the economic activities, as most offices were shut, adding that docker workers were not on ground within the the terminals.
“Imagine the huge losses the economy, the importers/exporters must have incurred today. A customs command generate over N10 billion in a day. Tell me how they will make such amount or meet their target. This government should listen to the masses and do the right thing,” he lamented.
